The Penn's Grove record., 1887-06-18

tain class of fishermen of our own State
who are dissatisfied With our present
laws and are asking for laws which
would cripple this important interest
ei oar State. We will eHdeayor to
prove 60 every nupreiudiced mind the
iallacy Of such laws which would work
Z ruin to those who advocate them if
titey were passed.
LIST. Ii is claimed that the catch of
shdd at PennsgrUye and other places up
the river has been poor this spring aud
the cause, it is. said. is on account Of the
large number Of Bay nets and their
great length. Hence they are demand
ing legislation to limit the nets to ii
less number OF fathoms in length. In
deed, they charged tie Bay nets as
the main cause of their failing to
make d good springs fishing. THIS
charge is erroneous as | hope to prove
to every unprecedented man who knows
anything about fishing.
one of the great CAUSES why shad
did not come up the river more plentl-
full was because Of the water being so
fresh down the Bay. There were times
it could be drunk as tar down as Ship
john Light. The late SHOWS and cold
weather continuing unusually long this
spring with the heavy rains which iel'
later near the head waters of the Della
ware and It's tributaries kept the water
very fresh far down the Bay during the
spring as there were but few north
west winds to blow it out. We were
( troubled with less moss bunkers this
spring than ever before because OF 50
much fresh water in the Bay.
Another reason why the shad did not
come up the river was because during
the winter months the large number OF
manufacturing establishments aloug
| the SchuylkiII and Delaware collect "A
large mount OF refuse and gases and
other obnoxious matter which IS swept
into the river during the early rains OF
spring and carried down with the tides.
These make the waters very distaste-
full 10 the shad and they will not come
into it III such impure condition. This
spring has been an exceptional one up
the river because Of the abundance Of
fresh water. Take the past few springs
and we find that the Bay nets were just
as long and number Us many as this
year. We lind also for the same spring
that plenty of shad came mp the river
and many nets did well. Why? Be-
cause the water suited the shad and
they came into it.
Take the sturgeon fishing for instance
Compare last year and this and we FIND
their is a vast difference in the catch oil
fish. Last year they did well at Bay
side while this year there has been a
very poor season. The water did not
suit the sturgeon and they did not conn
into it. | think it would be more con
sisteut on the part of those fishermen
who charge the Bay nets as being TIT
cause of their bad luck to transfer 1t t
the elements above; a least see If thel
can bride old Probability to give then
drier weather next spring.
1t is clear to any mind that thos'
who advocate such a law are Il lot o
.'dipers," GROWERS, and, what other
have truthfully called themselves, put
ty fishermen. They are blind to thei
own interest for if they got what tue.
asked for it would be detrimental tt
them. They have no just cause TO
complaint. haven't they the SAM
right as others to rig all the net the,
choose and go in the Bay Certainl,
they have.
With the same consistency tarme.
Smith might say to his neighbor Jones
Clones. there is M thing you have go
To stop doing.'' "NNhat is that >
Jones replies. "Why It's this, an
swers Smith. 81 have been consulting
with some OF my friends about thu
farming business and we have conclud
ed to try to have a law passed prohibit
ing YOU and other farmers from raising
more than $4,000 hills OF sweet potatoes
uext YEAR, Jones looks at his neigh
hor in establishment and asks why III
wants such a law passed as this,
"Welln says Smith, las you have beef
in the habit of planting $4,000 hills OF
sweet potatoes, and have also been
working early and late, you have raised
good crops and have gotten them into
the markets earlier than / aud my
neiohbors did ours. The fact is you
received more money for your crops
than we did for ours and we do not pro-
pose to allow you to continue this any
lonper.n .'Ah, indeed, - says Jones,
81 see YOUR motive in advocating such
An obnoxious law and it is a selfish one
too. AS you are too lazy to tend more
than $4,000 hills of potatoes and also
because | have taken more money lor
nv crops than you, therefore, you ana
your gang are asking for a law TO com
bel us to be as triiling as yourselves
Haven't you the same chance to make
as much money as | do : You have as
many acres of ground as have. You
have an equal chance with me in ev-
cry respect. Why do you, Mr. smith,
favor a law that will destroy your W
interest p Look here, Mr.. Jones,
saws smith, II will admit your argu'
ments are sound and full Of common
sense and you seem to understand
what YOU are talking about but thel
we want a different law. The fact is
we do not intend to allow You To make
any more money than we do. "Ah,'
| see through your whole scheme nov